ABSTRACT
Plastics are generally considered durable. It is, in fact, complained that plastic articles are too durable, that they tend to persist forever in garbage disposal facilities; this has even led to the design of additives to counter this “ defect.” Without the incorporation of antioxidants, few plastics would have more than a brief service life. Most, actually, would have none, because articles of commerce could not be fabricated without irreversible destruction. The same need exists in a broad range of other organic materials. The sales volume of antioxidants in the United States has been projected to approach $1 billion in 1995 [1].
